The hard part of this operation was over, he thought. The rest was simple routine.
This caravan master had given him
a bit more trouble than some of the others, but his final reaction had been just like all the others. He smiled.
That flash of incredulity, followed by sudden, horrified comprehension, then blankness, was becoming perfectly familiar. In fact, even this was simple routine.
He wondered if he might be able to extend just a little. Perhaps he could operate on a wider scale. There should be some way he could work out to take over a neighboring estate and go from there.
Surely, there must be some outlet for his abilities, beyond mere increase in the wealth of Kira Barra. And there must be some way to gain a companion of sorts. He would have to think that over.
He swung the boat to the pier and floated away, grandly ignoring the pseudomen who hurried to secure his lines.
He examined the village with approval as he stood in the center of the clearing. There had been a great improvement since he had taken that headman in hand. Perhaps this fellow would be satisfactory—might even learn to take some pride in the appearance of his village—if, that is, a pseudoman were capable of pride.
He looked over toward the headman’s hut.
The fellow had come out, followed by the lead driver of the caravan. Good, that would save the trouble of hunting the fellow out.